11.12.2005
Ottawa < or = "Trashcona"?
So a week ago I went to Ottawa with Nathaniel for a little road trip for our 2-day reading break. It was a good time, watching politics, seeing the governor general, touring the mint, going to the supreme court and just relaxing and all. Though, I had to say that I was disappointed wih the overall state of the city. Besides being poorly planned, the city was just overly dirty. As we walked from our hotel (5 blocks from the parliament buildings on the same street), we past countless beggers asking for money. Graffitti lined the walls of the run-down, boarded up stores, and everything just looked dirty. It reminded me of transcona in winnipeg (a.k.a. trashcona for you ontarians).
Now don't get me wrong, the fall weather had caused alot of the trees to their leaves and the flowers to be pulled out but the city should not look like this! This is our nations capital! When people walk down the streets they should be instilled with pride exploring these streets! The capital of a nation should be a beacon of light, the pride of the nation and what it represents!
I remember went i visited Quebec City this summer. I remember walking from my hotel located right beside the parliament building and the walls of Old Quebec. I walked around the city in sheer awe; I could just sense the pride in the city. Everything was absolutely beautiful. To most Quebecors there, this was their capital city. The city seemed to designed and upkept to provide Quebecors a glimpse of what a self-governed Quebec would look like. It looked almost unrealistic.
As I focus my train of thought back on Ottawa, I do not feel this at all. I feel nothing but disappointment. Only in the parliament buildings did I begin to experience anything like i felt in Quebec City. Yet this only made me feel that the parliament buildings were out of place. This cannot be; the capital of our nation and every nation must be beautiful. I really think that Winnipeg is comparable if not nicer than Ottawa. Maybe Ottawa should try to revitalize their city. For if people cannot feel proud of their country while visiting their nation's capital, how can they feel proud of their country at all?
Now don't get me wrong, the fall weather had caused alot of the trees to their leaves and the flowers to be pulled out but the city should not look like this! This is our nations capital! When people walk down the streets they should be instilled with pride exploring these streets! The capital of a nation should be a beacon of light, the pride of the nation and what it represents!
I remember went i visited Quebec City this summer. I remember walking from my hotel located right beside the parliament building and the walls of Old Quebec. I walked around the city in sheer awe; I could just sense the pride in the city. Everything was absolutely beautiful. To most Quebecors there, this was their capital city. The city seemed to designed and upkept to provide Quebecors a glimpse of what a self-governed Quebec would look like. It looked almost unrealistic.
As I focus my train of thought back on Ottawa, I do not feel this at all. I feel nothing but disappointment. Only in the parliament buildings did I begin to experience anything like i felt in Quebec City. Yet this only made me feel that the parliament buildings were out of place. This cannot be; the capital of our nation and every nation must be beautiful. I really think that Winnipeg is comparable if not nicer than Ottawa. Maybe Ottawa should try to revitalize their city. For if people cannot feel proud of their country while visiting their nation's capital, how can they feel proud of their country at all?
:: posted by craig, 20:49
